JP2007537830A - Wound chamber with remote access portal - Google Patents

Abstract

A wound chamber having a remote access portal is provided.
The wound dressing article has a base (26), a chamber (22), a tube (32), and a portal (34). The chamber extends from the base and constitutes a treatment space. The tube has a first end connected to the chamber. The tube communicates with the treatment space. The portal is connected to the second end of the tube.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

[Cross-reference to related applications]
This claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 60 / 571,837, filed May 17, 2004.
The present invention relates generally to the field of wound healing, and more particularly to a wound chamber with a remote access portal.

Various techniques are used to treat wounds with widened mouths. In some cases, wide open wounds may be treated with wet or dry gauze. However, such treatment may result in excessive pain, wound dehydration, fluid and protein loss, loss of heat or delayed healing. In order to delay the onset of infection, burns may be additionally treated with antibacterial creams and the like.
Wounds with widened mouth are expected to heal faster in environments that are approximately between wet and dry environments. Partial thickness wounds heal faster when covered with polyethylene film than when exposed to air. Traditionally, dressings with a certain degree of water permeability provide the optimal conditions for healing.

A wound chamber has been developed to protect wounds that are wide open and provide environmental control of the treatment site. For example, an exemplary wound chamber and method for using it is described in US Pat. No. 5,152,757, referred to as “Equipment for Wound Diagnosis and Treatment” by Elo Ericsson (the specification is Which is incorporated herein by reference).
A wound chamber typically includes a chamber for surrounding a predetermined surface area around a patient's wound. This wound chamber is sealed to the skin surrounding the wound. In addition to other features, the wound chamber may have a portal for introducing treatment fluid and treatment additives into the wound chamber and for removing wound fluid and / or air from the wound chamber. Such operations are typically performed using a syringe or similar supply / removal device. For example, the portal may be an injection portal made of a self-sealing material capable of passing a hollow steel needle. Using a steel needle in close proximity to the patient creates a risk of damage to the patient and a healthy nurse. There is also the added risk that the needle will damage the wound chamber. In some clinical applications, the wound chamber itself may be covered with a secondary dressing or covering such as a gauze or elastic bandage. In such a situation, the portal positioned directly in the chamber is covered by the secondary dressing and becomes inaccessible.

  The present invention is directed to eliminating or at least reducing the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above.

One aspect of the present invention is found in wound dressings having a base, a chamber, a tube, and a portal. The chamber extends from the base and constitutes a treatment space. The tube has a first end connected to the chamber. The tube communicates with the treatment space. The portal is connected to the second end of the tube.
While the invention is amenable to various modifications, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail herein. However, this description of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the specific forms, but rather the intent is all within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that variations, equivalents and modifications of the present invention are included.

The present invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements, and in which:
While the invention may be embodied in any of a number of different forms, it should be considered as illustrative of the invention herein which is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments illustrated. In order to understand this, the present invention will be described. Unless explicitly stated as “essential” or “essential”, nothing in this application is considered essential or essential.
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a perspective view of a wound dressing 20 is shown. The wound dressing 20 includes a chamber 22 that defines a treatment space 24 and a base 26 that covers the wound 30 and can be sealed to the patient's skin surface 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the chamber 22 has a bellows configuration with a fold 23. However, the invention is not so limited and other configurations may be used. The bottom surface of the base 26 is provided with an adhesive to provide the fluid tight seal with sufficient adhesive strength to prevent unintentional removal of the wound dressing 20 or failure of the fluid tight seal during normal patient operation. May be. Many adhesives sufficient for these purposes are known to those skilled in the art.

  A tube 32 is attached to the chamber 22 and communicates with the treatment space 24. The tube 32 may be permanently secured to the chamber 22 or a fixture 25 may be provided to allow removal of the tube 32. The distal end of tube 32 ends at portal 34. In one embodiment, portal 34 may be a female luer fitting. As used herein, the terms “portal” and “attachment” may be used interchangeably depending on the particular implementation. A fixture generally refers to a device that mates with a complementary connection device, and a portal may refer to a device into which something such as a needle is inserted. The tube 32 may end at the wall of the chamber 22 as shown, or may extend a distance through the wall and end within the treatment space 24. The tube 32 is sealed to the chamber 22 to prevent escape of liquid or air from the treatment space. Although only one tube 32 and portal 34 is shown, the present invention is not so limited, and multiple tubes 32 and associated portals 34 may be provided to access the treatment space 24. One tube 32 and portal 34 may be used as an inlet for supplying therapeutic substance to treatment space 24, or another tube 32 and portal 34 may be used as an outlet for removing substance from treatment space 24. May be. Such an inlet / outlet configuration may be useful for managing a continuous treatment flow.

  The base 26 may have various instruments. For example, the base 26 may be a cuff adapted to secure the chamber 22 to the limb. In such embodiments, the base 26 may be a different closure such as a leash, band, strap, tab, etc. instead of or in addition to an adhesive for securing the wound dressing 20 around the wound 23. You may have a device. Further, the base may be installed on a part of the body that is not adjacent to the wound 30. For example, the wound 23 may be in the hand or forearm and the base 26 may be attached to the body at the upper arm. A wound 23 in the scalp may require that the base 26 be placed in the frontal region and around the neck.

With reference to FIG. 3, a supply / removal device 36, such as a syringe, engages the portal 34 to provide treatment fluid or treatment additive to the treatment space 24 or to remove liquid or gas from the treatment space 24. May be. For example, the supply / removal device 36 may have a fitting 38 such as a male luer fitting that is complementary to the female luer fitting used as the portal 34. In the case of complementary female and male luer fittings, rotation of the male fitting 38 in the supply / removal device 36 opens the valve in the female portal 34 extending from the tube 32. The supply / removal device 36 may include devices other than the syringe shown. For example, the supply / removal device 36 may have a rigid or flexible container for holding one or more liquids or output therapeutic substances that may be supplied to the treatment space 24.
The length of the tube 32 may vary with the particular instrument. In applications where the tube 32 is provided to increase the distance between the supply / removal device 36 to protect the patient and / or the chamber 22 from the needle, the tube should be at least longer than the needle. If the wound dressing 20 is to be covered with a secondary dressing, the tube 32 may be longer. For example, the tube 32 may have a length between 2.5 inches (1 inch) and 61 cm (24 inches). The tube 32 is generally flexible and may be foldable to itself depending on the particular instrument.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the portal 34 is constructed of a self-sealing material. In this embodiment, the delivery / removal device 36 is a hollow, which is inserted through a self-sealing portal 34 for infusion of treatment fluids and / or treatment additives and / or removal of wound fluid or air from the treatment space 24. A syringe having a steel needle 39 may be used.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, another embodiment is shown in which the tube 32 of FIG. 1 is a retractable tube 40 that is typically formed of a flexible, contractible material that lies flat. Yes. The supply / removal device 36 may be a syringe having a flexible tip 42 that is inserted into the retractable tube 40. The flexible tip 42 may be inserted over the entire length of the retractable tube 40 so as to exit the retractable tube 40 and extend directly into the treatment space 24. In some embodiments, for example, the flexible tip 42 may be shorter than the retractable tube 40 when fluid is added. The retractable tube 40 expands as necessary to allow insertion of the flexible tip 42 and / or treatment fluid. As the flexible tip 42 is withdrawn, the retractable tube 40 contracts and forms a water and air tight seal to the treatment space 24. In some embodiments, the retractable tube 40 may have a flared short portion 43 that connects to the chamber 22, i.e., terminates at or extends into the chamber 22. . The flexible tip 42 may be positioned in the flared short portion 43 rather than in the treatment space 24 for removing fluid from the treatment space 24.

As can be seen in FIG. 7, the tube 32 of FIG. 1 may include a fixture 44, such as a female luer attachment, as well as an auxiliary portal 46 of self-sealing material positioned in the branch tube 48. The availability of the two portals 44, 46 increases the flexibility of the wound dressing 20 by allowing the user to use a needle / no needle supply / removal device 36.
Tube 32 allows portal 34 to be positioned away from skin surface 28, wound 30 and chamber 22. Thus, using a needle to introduce treatment fluid into the treatment space 24 reduces the possibility of unintentional contact with the patient or a healthy nurse. Also, if the wound dressing 20 is covered by a secondary dressing (not shown), the wound 30 can still be treated through the tube 32 without requiring removal of the secondary dressing.

  The wound dressing 20 described above has many uses. Tube 32 may be used to introduce various treatment fluids and / or additives. The wound dressing 20 allows for wound monitoring, which is useful for enhancing healing methods. According to the chamber 22, it is possible to monitor the wound 30 itself with eyes and monitor the fluid in the treatment space 24. This monitoring provides feedback to aid in precise control of treatment variables and facilitates investigation. The fluid removed from the device can be analyzed for factors indicative of the wound care situation and for harmful factors such as microorganisms, low oxygen, high carbon dioxide and adverse pH. The fluid may be tested for the number and type of bacteria and microorganisms per cc, the number and type of cells, the amount and type of protein and other factors. Wound physiology and clinical diagnosis of the patient may also be performed. Once diagnosed, further treatment of wound 30 may be initiated by introducing therapeutic additives and controlling treatment variables. Depending on the type of wound, the removed fluid can be removed from (a) the presence of microorganisms, (b) cells, (c) the amount and type of protein, (d) chemicals, (e) oxygen, (f) carbon dioxide levels. And / or (g) can be tested for pH. This data may be recorded and used for wound diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is complete, the fluid therapy intervention may be adjusted accordingly.

Also, additional growth factors created by the wound 30 may be measured when analyzing the removed fluid. Additional factors that can be tested are the presence and amount of various inflammatory mediators and various antigens. The presence of the antigen can serve important diagnostic purposes and can be tested with specific antibodies delivered through the wound chamber. This information is useful in deciding what to replenish and how to treat, indicating the healing of the wound 30. The wound dressing 20 establishes an environment in which positive factors generated by the body may exist.
An exemplary but not exhaustive list of therapeutic agents includes anesthetics, antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, growth factors, cell culture media, cells, oxygen, buffers, enzymes and immunomodulators. The added cells may include cells that have been genetically modified prior to transplantation in the wound 30 or other gene therapy additives such as DNA, genes, genetic material, genetic vectors, etc. May be included.

In addition, the wound care product 20 can control the treatment environment in the treatment space 24. An exemplary but not exhaustive list of treatment variables includes temperature, colloid osmotic pressure, pH, ion concentration, glucose concentration, amino acid content, fat concentration, oxygen concentration and carbon dioxide concentration.
Various therapeutic techniques may be implemented by controlling the therapeutic variables and by adding selected therapeutic additives. One skilled in the art will recognize many such treatment techniques in view of this disclosure, but the application of the present invention is not limited to any particular treatment. By way of example, non-limiting examples of treatments that can be performed according to the present invention include cell therapy techniques such as application of stem cells, gene therapy agents, or cell matrix gel suspensions, such as antibacterial or bacteriostatic treatments. There are general treatment techniques such as infection treatment techniques or negative pressure treatments.
The specific embodiments disclosed above are merely exemplary, although the invention may be modified and implemented in different but equivalent ways apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. . Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. The protection sought here is therefore stated in the claims.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a wound dressing having a tube leading from the chamber to the portal. FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevational view of the wound dressing of FIG. 1. It is a perspective view of the fixture connected with the tube of the wound care article of FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portal made of a self-sealing material at the end of the tube of the wound dressing of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shrinkable tube that may be used in the wound dressing of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a syringe having a flexible supply tip inserted into the retractable tube of FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a supply tube with a fixture and an auxiliary port of self-sealing material.

Claims (30)

The base,
A chamber extending from the base to form a treatment space;
A tube having a first end connected to the chamber and in communication with the treatment space;
A portal connected to the second end of the tube;
Wound care products.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, wherein the base is attachable to a skin surface proximate to the wound, and the treatment space is constituted by the skin surface and a chamber.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, wherein the tube has a circular cross section.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, further comprising a fitting for connecting the tube to the chamber.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, wherein the portal is made of a self-sealing material.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, wherein the portal comprises an attachment.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, further comprising a feeding / unloading device adapted to mate with the portal.   The wound dressing according to claim 7, wherein the portal comprises a first fixture and the feeding / unloading device has a second fixture complementary to the first fixture.   The wound dressing according to claim 7, wherein the supply / removal device comprises a syringe.   8. A wound dressing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tube comprises a compressible tube and the dispensing / unloading device has a flexible tip adapted to extend through the portal into the compressible tube. Supplies.   The wound dressing according to claim 10, wherein the flexible tip is adapted to extend through the compressible tube into the treatment space.   The wound dressing according to claim 7, wherein the portal is made of a self-sealing material and the dispensing / unloading device has a rigid tip adapted to penetrate the self-sealing material so as to communicate with the tube.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary portal connected to the tube.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, wherein the tube comprises a first part connected to the chamber and the portal, and a second part branched from the first part.   15. A wound dressing according to claim 14, further comprising an auxiliary portal connected to the second portion of the tube.   14. A wound dressing according to claim 13, wherein one of the portal and the auxiliary portal comprises a fixture and the other comprises a self-sealing material.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, wherein the chamber has a bellows configuration having at least one fold.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive applied to at least one surface of the base.   The wound dressing according to claim 1, wherein the tube is a shrinkable tube.   20. A wound dressing according to claim 19, wherein the shrinkable tube lies flat under normal conditions.   20. A wound dressing according to claim 19, wherein the shrinkable tube proximate to the chamber is flared. The tube consists of the first tube, the portal consists of the first portal,
A second tube having a first end coupled to the chamber and in communication with the treatment space;
A second portal connected to the second end of the second tube;
The wound dressing according to claim 1, further comprising: The base,
A chamber extending from the base to form a treatment space;
A tube having a first end connected to the chamber and in communication with the treatment space;
A portal connected to the second end of the tube;
Installing a wound care product over the wound;
A method of treating a wound comprising accessing a treatment space through a tube.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein accessing the treatment space comprises introducing a therapeutic substance into the treatment space.   Introducing therapeutic substances include anesthetics, antibiotics, chemotherapeutics, growth factors, cell culture media, cells, oxygen, buffers, enzymes and immunomodulators, genetically modified cells and gene therapy 25. A method according to claim 24, comprising introducing at least one of the additives.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein accessing the treatment space further comprises removing material from the treatment space.   27. The method of claim 26, further comprising analyzing the material removed from the treatment space.   24. The method of claim 23, further comprising controlling a treatment variable within the treatment space.   Controlling the treatment variable further comprises controlling at least one of temperature, pressure, colloid osmotic pressure, pH, ion concentration, glucose concentration, amino acid content, fat concentration, oxygen concentration and carbon dioxide concentration. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein:   Accessing the treatment space is to implement a therapeutic method comprising at least one of stem cell therapy, gene therapy drug therapy, cell matrix gel suspension therapy, antibacterial drug therapy or bacteriostatic therapy therapy and negative pressure therapy 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

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